The Sedalia weekly bazoo. [volume] (Sedalia, Mo.) 187?-1904, 1887-05-10


size is limited by the servants greed and
his victims purse. Such "mudakhil''
is levied on every thing which is bought
for or by the master, from a house oil
horse to .mosquito-net. Even the
best and most trusted Persian servant
takes it, and it is, indeed, considered
in the light of one of the best estab-
lished and most honored institutions
of the country. No one can escape the
''mudakhil," not even the all-powerful
Shah. His servants rob and plumber
him just as persistently as do those OF
the European residents or travellers
their employers, But there is a fine
distinction. A "mudakhil'' of ten per
cent on the purchase price is very
straight forward, honorable and fair;
one of twenty per cent is permissible,
but one of forty or fifty per cent is
theft and brands the servant as dis
honest. Such one loses caste and could
only be excused by his countrymen if
his victim be a newly arrived "feren-
CHI, -" European or American of green
horn propensities. But even in that
case it would be held to be stretching
the bow little too far As long as he
keeps within the bounds just men,
toned the Persian servant may cheat
and swindle his master every minute if
he can. and he may proudly raise his
head and call himself an honest man in
Persia. The natives understand this
fine principle SO well that even if the
master should, in exceptional cases.
take the trouble to purchase the goods
IN question himself the dealer will
always in: the purchase price include
the ''mudakhil' for the servant, to be
paid the latter on the nail as soon after
the sale as he chooses To call for it.
The Persian servant is not a very
superior article. He is lazy, dishonest.
slow, unreliable, untruthful, and decid-
eddy slovenly in his personal habits.
Besides, he is possessed of one charac-
teristic which will alone suffice TO make
him distasteful to the average Westerner
.he is so horribly familiar. He iden-
titles himself so wholly with your per-
son and interests that ne will interrupt
your conversation, do things in your
name you never wanted him to, prom
ise or deny VIGOROUSLY and with the
utmost show of authority. On the
other hand, the Persian servant is very
and faithful. If you pay him
his dues, let him appropriate what he
considers his rigitful share of your
and are not cruelty unjust to
him, he will stand any thing from you
without bearing malice. He may be
kicked and cuffed and boxed around,
and whipped within an
inch of his life, and he will still cling
to you and own you as his master if
you do not break the. above paragraphs
Of the silent covenant with him. Their
needs are very few and simple as COM
pared with our own, and they are easily
The monthly wages of an
able-bodied Persian servant of average
skill and intelligence vary between 10
and so kraus (s1.50 to $3.50, and very
seldom reach the latter figure. The
Europeans in Persia pay the best
wages, but even they seldom pay more
than 40 kraus to valet and so kraus to
4 cook, which includes the wages of his
or assistants. The Persian
iignitaries keep ridiculously large
-etinue of servants, often $50 to 200.
But of this number but a small fraction
nave their domicile in the masters
house. The chief servant arranges it
hat certain proportion of the total
lumber sleep at the masters house
Zach night by turns, and the rest spend
he night with their families.
The Persian treats his servant quite
from the European. In a |
part of the servants quar-
,ers is erected the ''fallakka. 1t is
lere that corporal punishment is meted
,ut to offending members of the do
nestle herd, the delinquent being
forced to put his two feet through
holes in board, and, this being lifted
up, the chief of the domestic police adj
minister's the stick to the soles of the |
offender until the number of strokes is
'ull. This procedure being over, the
Gf otherwise a favorite SER
7ant) often receives "khalat" (robe |
If honor) or other gift, in token of his |
being received back into the good |
yraces of his master. At any rate, no
more is said about the bastinado Just |
zone through with, either by master or
nan. and no ignominy attaches to its
lse. The Persian master while using
he 'fallakka" quite literally on occa-
ion. treats his servant generally with |
great forbearance and allows him much !
attitude. He will make confidant of |
him to-day and send him to "eat the !
stick" persian for bastinador to-mor- |
'ow, knowing we'll that the man will |
bear him no grudge. What the Per- |